The MacRichord surname came to Ireland with the Anglo- Norman invasion of the 12th century, led by the forces of Strongbow. The surname came from a common occupational name for a wine steward or the chief servant of a medieval household. In royal households, the title denoted a high-ranking officer whose duties as a wine steward were merely nominal. Occupational surnames, such as MacRichord were much quite common to the Anglo-Norman culture, and virtually unknown in Gaelic Irish. The prefix le, meaning the, in French was often used by the early Strongbownians to link a person's first and name and surname. Eventually these prefixes were dropped or became fused onto the beginning of the surname. The surname MacRichord is derived from Anglo-French "butuiller," which comes from the Old French word "bouteillier." These words are ultimately derived from the Latin words "buticularius," and "buticula," which mean "bottle." The Gaelic form of the surname MacRichord is de Buitléir.

Early Origins of the MacRichord family

The surname MacRichord was first found in the ancient territory of Ormond (now parts of County Kilkenny, Wexford and north Tipperary). The first on record was Theobald FitzWalter, a distinguished Norman noble who accompanied Strongbow and was created the Chief Butler of Ireland in 1177. "He also possessed the barony of Amounderness, Lancashire, which he held in 1165 by service of one knight." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)

"Layton, [Lancashire] is mentioned in the Domesday Survey, and in former times was of some importance as containing a mansion belonging to the ancient family of Botiller or Butler, barons of Warrington." [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. His descendents began to use the surname Butler around the year 1220. His direct descendant became Earl of Ormond in 1328 and their stronghold was Kilkenny castle. The family were rivals of the powerful Fitzgeralds and their kin, and the effective government of Ireland was held by one or the other of these two great Norman houses until the death of the Great Duke of Ormond in 1688.

Many members of the family were ardent Jacobites, including the Abbé James Butler of Nantes, who was chaplain to "Bonnie Prince Charlie" during the last Jacobite uprising of 1745. Despite the strong Irish side of the family, the English side remained strong too. Laughton-En-Le-Morthen in the West Riding of Yorkshire was the site of one such family. "Laughton Hall, the ancient seat of the Butler family, is a spacious mansion, commanding extensive views." [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

MacRichord Spelling Variations

It was found during an investigation of the origins of the name MacRichord that church officials and medieval scribes often spelled the name as it sounded. This practice lead to a single person's being documented under many spelling variations. The name MacRichord has existed in the various shapes: Butler, Buttler, McRichard and others.

Early Notables of the MacRichord family (pre 1700)

Notable amongst the family up to this time was James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond (1359-1405), noble in the Peerage of Ireland, title was Governer of Ireland, acceded to the title in 1382 and built Gowran Castle three years later making it his usual residence, purchased Kilkenny Castle (1391) by deed... Another 226 words (16 lines of text) are included under the topic Early MacRichord Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the MacRichord family to the New World and Oceana

A great number of Irish families left their homeland in the late 18th century and throughout the 19th century, migrating to such far away lands as Australia and North America. The early settlers left after much planning and deliberation. They were generally well off but they desired a tract of land that they could farm solely for themselves. The great mass of immigrants to arrive on North American shores in the 1840s differed greatly from their predecessors because many of them were utterly destitute, selling all they had to gain a passage on a ship or having their way paid by a philanthropic society. These Irish people were trying to escape the aftermath of the Great Potato Famine: poverty, starvation, disease, and, for many, ultimately death. Those that arrived on North American shores were not warmly welcomed by the established population, but they were vital to the rapid development of the industry, agriculture, and infrastructure of the infant nations of the United States and what would become Canada. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Irish settlers bearing the name MacRichord: Christopher Butler who settled in Virginia in 1670; the following, Charles, Daniel, Edward, Elizabeth, George, Giles, James, John, Joseph, Martin, Michael, Patrick, Richard, Thomas and William, all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860.